


Comfort

by ameanstoanendor



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: CT-6116 | Kix Gets A Hug, CT-6116 | Kix Needs A Hug, Echo is so sweet, Fives please quit ruining the moment, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29118765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ameanstoanendor/pseuds/ameanstoanendor
Summary: Prompt: “Hmm how about Echo + Kix and talking after Kix has been having a rough time bc medics can't save everyone, try as they might  [they don't interact in canon and it makes me sad :( ]” (from lifeofmarvvel on tumblr)Kix has been awake for nearly 24 hours trying to save as many brothers as he could. A breakdown was inevitable. Luckily, Echo is really great at comforting brothers who are hurting.
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-6116 | Kix, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136306
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	Comfort

It was another long and grueling campaign. The 501st always seemed to be sent to the most difficult battles and the men were beginning to wear down. Even genetically-enhanced soldiers needed a break, after all, but they weren’t getting one. 

Kix hadn’t been able to take a breather in nearly 24 hours. Whether he was on the battlefield as a field medic or in the makeshift medbay they’d made on the planet’s surface, he’d constantly been keeping himself busy with helping as many of his brothers as he could. 

Currently, he was performing surgery on a brother in a last-ditch effort to save his life. He knew that the chances of his survival were slim-to-none, but he had to at least  _try_ . 

A few minutes later, the brother breathed his last breath. Kix sighed heavily and pulled the cover over the brother’s head, squeezing his now-cooling hand lightly as he did so. The kid had been a shiny fresh off of Kamino. He had deserved better, and Kix had failed him. 

He had someone collect the body and went to clean the blood off of himself in the ‘fresher. He ignored the lump in his throat. He was a medic in a war; he should be used to losing patients by now. He shouldn’t be near tears over losing one kid.  _A kid who deserved to live_ , Kix thought bitterly,  _and I wasn’t good enough to save him_.

Once he was clean, he returned to the medbay to check on some of his patients. During the most recent battle, ARC Trooper Fives had been injured and was currently knocked out on pain medications. Kix was somewhat surprised to find ARC Trooper Echo sitting at Fives’ bedside, but he wasn’t surprised for long when he remembered that there was a lull in the fighting at the moment. 

Kix walked over to Fives’ bedside and nodded in greeting to Echo, who nodded in return.

“His burns and cuts are healing nicely. He’ll be—“ Kix paused to clear his throat when his voice broke, “He’ll be perfectly healthy in a day or two.”

Echo looked at him in concern, “Are you alright, Kix?” 

Kix swallowed hard and opened his mouth to give an automatic  _yes,_ but no sound came out. He closed his mouth, looked away, and gave a quick nod. He was blinking away tears and dammit, he couldn’t afford to break down now, not when there were still brothers he needed save, not when there were people who needed him. 

He turned to leave, but Echo hopped out of his chair and grabbed his arm.

“Kix, I can clearly tell that you’re not okay. When was the last time you gave yourself a break?” Echo asked. Kix shrugged and didn’t speak, eyes fixed on the ground between them. 

“You need to rest, too. You can’t be of much use to us if you’re running yourself into the ground,” Echo told him with a slight smile. Kix let him sit him in the chair that was by Fives’ bedside. Echo crouched on the ground in front of him and grabbed one of his hands.

“But that’s not all that’s bothering you, is it?” Echo asked gently. 

Kix took a shuddering breath and shook his head, “No, it’s— I just—“ he squeezed his eyes closed in an attempt to stem the oncoming tears he felt. The only other brother that Kix had ever broken down in front of was Jesse, and he didn’t really want to do so in front of Echo, but he was so gentle and kind that it becoming difficult to maintain his composure, and—

He cried. He cried for the shiny he just lost on the operation table, for the brothers who he couldn’t save on the field, for the brothers who were currently injured, for all the brothers who’d died in the past and who would die in the months to come as the war raged on. 

He was dimly aware of Echo enveloping him in a hug. Kix let all of his turmoil out, relishing the comfort. Once he’d calmed down minutely, he pulled away. 

He was now very aware of the fact that he hasn’t gotten any sleep in nearly 24 hours, yet he still felt better than he had in days.

“Thanks. Um, sorry,” Kix said with a small sniffle.

Echo smiled at him, “Don’t worry about it, Kix. We all need a good cry every now and then.”

Kix nodded and took a few deep breaths before explaining, “I just... I just lost a shiny on the operating table a few minutes ago.”

Echo’s lips parted in understanding, but he stayed silent and waited for Kix to continue.

“I know it’s irrational, but I wish I could save every brother I come across. I wish that I didn’t have so much blood on my hands from the brothers I couldn’t save. Wish I wasn’t such a failure—“ Kix was cut off by Echo’s sound of disbelief.

“Failure? Kix, you are anything but a failure. You do more for these men than anyone else does. Without you and the other medics, there would be quite a few more casualties. No one expects you to be able to save everyone, though, and you shouldn’t burden yourself by thinking that you should be able to,” Echo told him. 

“I know... it’s just... it’s hard,” Kix said, “Hard to believe that when we lose so many everyday. But then again, it’s a war. What did we expect?”

Echo let out a sigh, “I understand. It’s horrible and we all deserve better. That includes you, you know.” 

Kix laughed humorlessly at that but nodded anyways. 

Echo leaned over for another hug, and Kix wordlessly accepted, relishing the feeling of warmth again. His heart felt lighter and he was more at peace.

“Hey, um, I really hate to ruin the moment but... could I have some water?” Asked Fives from his bed, having woken up at some point during their conversation.

Echo reached out a hand from his and Kix’s embrace and smacked him.

“Ow! Hey! Injured there. Take that as a no,” Fives grumbled from his bed.

Kix and Echo let go of each other. 

Kix rolled his eyes at Fives, who had crossed his arms across his chest and was feigning an angry look. 

“Yeah, you’ll get your water, you entitled piece of—“ Kix began.

“Hey, hey! Language, Kix, where’s your bedside manner?” Fives asked, sporting a goofy grin. Kix rolled his eyes and turned to get Fives some water before he turned back to Echo.

“Thank you, Echo. I really... I really needed that,” he said.

Echo smiled and nodded at him, “Anything for a brother.”

Kix returned the smile and walked away, chest feeling lighter than it had since the war started.

**Author's Note:**

> Another prompt! This one given to me by lifeofmarvvel on tumblr! 
> 
> I don’t know if any of you can tell, but I’m MUCH more comfortable writing clones than I am Jedi like Anakin and Ahsoka. 
> 
> Also sidenote but I have an idea for a series starring Kix rolling around in my head so EVENTUALLY that’ll happen. Who knows when, though.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! I’m on tumblr at ameanstoanendor!


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